In 1976, a group of eight dancers shared a common dream - to put Pittsburgh on the modern dance map. Little did they know the company would blossom into a full scale performing company and receive national acclaim.
Tucked into the corner of Penn and Stratford Avenues, the Dance Alloy Theater of today is a neighborhood staple to the Friendship area. The company set the stage for the now thriving arts community in the area. And it can only continue to grow.
This weekend, DAT premieres its first main stage production of their 35th anniversary season, “From Where We Come...” In a retrospective look at the work of their predecessors, current Artistic Director Greer Reed-Jones wanted to honor the company’s past.
The show will feature Reed-Jones’ own work, “And We Were.” Cast for the entire company, the piece salutes previous artistic directors of the company (including Elsa Limbach, Susan Gillis, Mark Taylor, and Beth Corning). Each section represents a different director, with some movement taken directly from their old choreography, some original movement, some improvisation, some spoken word, and even some video work that will bring us all the way back to the Alloy “Mr. Rogers performance.”
Also on tap will be a world premiere by former company member, Andre Koslowski. Koslowski’s theatrical and emotionally charged work incited multiple reactions at the “Behind the Curtain” preview of the piece. Fits of laughter, dropped jaws, widened eyes and even a few tears came from the studio. The piece brought to mind family dysfunctions, but done with dark humor - similar to the popular book-turned-movie, Running with Scissors.
Whatever image I had in mind, Koslowski and the dancers had their own. New member, Jasmine Hearn, described the process: “You never get comfortable. You just have to stay present.” Veteran of the company, Maribeth Maxa, said, “editing was not part of the process.” In fact, after only two weeks, an hour a half of material was created. Koslowski admitted to choosing material for his final products quite late in the game. It wouldn’t be unlike him to cut or add sections the week of the show. “I find it very scary to make work,” he said. From the beginning, though, he made the assumption that the work was already there, and all he had to do was find it.
What reflective DAT concert would be complete without the work of former Artistic Director, Mark Taylor? Taylor directed the company for twelve years, and has set an old classic of his, “Swan Lake, Act II” on the new company.
Originally created in 1993, Taylor said he was interested in the lushness of the Tchaikovsky score. “I always thought the ballet vocabulary was constrained compared to the music,” he said. So he gave it a modern twist to embody what he thought of as the “horizontal sweep of the music.” A satire was the furthest thing from his mind. When the first audience to see the work broke into hysterics, he was thrown off, but decided to embrace the reaction and work with the humor. With shaking body parts, non-ballet lifts, warped lines and a nod to (new member) Gretchen Moore’s buttocks, the piece can’t help its comedy.
To round out the show, former company member Kevin Maloney pulled his duet, “The Son is Father to the Man,” out of the archives. The piece will be performed by new member, Raymond Interior, and 11th season veteran, Michael Walsh. Maloney first presented the piece in 1994, shortly after the death of his father. The work reflects on their relationship as well as the father/son dynamic in general.
Walsh describes the piece as “highly physical with a lot of partnering.” The relationship between Interior and Walsh as new and old members of the company works in their favor. Walsh believes that he and Ray are “a great balance” for what Kevin had in mind.
Show Details:
“From Where We Come...”
New Hazlett Theater on the North Side
December 2, 3, 4, and 5, 2010
8pm Thurs. - SOLD OUT!
8pm Fri - Tapas & A Dance
8pm Sat - Dessert With A Dancer
2pm Sun - Pay-What-You-Can
tickets: 412/363-4321 or click HERE
$20 in advance or $25 at the door
Comments